A Lady's Mask
by Shi-no-Nezumi
Summary: AU where duo is actually a girl...a girl who becomes a boy who becomes a lady with a mask...
1. Chapter 1: for Moonlit Eyes1x2x1

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam, or Heero, or Duo, or anything else for that matter.  
  
A Lady's Mask  
  
*******Memories******* "Deuce no!!! You can't leave me!!!" "I have to Duet. for L2, for all the colonies!!! Solo would've wanted me to finish it for him." "Idiot!!! You're needed HERE!!! What about Liz? You think she's gonna like this? Solo wouldn't want you to die, or leave us all leaderless!!!" "Shut up duet! I'm going tomorrow and that's final!!!" "No way!!! Let me go instead!!! I'm so much better than you!!!" "Not a chance little sister!!!" "Why!!! Cuz I'm a girl?" "I'm not gonna do this with you again!!! Go play with Maggie!!!"  
  
*Hah! Go play! You watch big bro, I'm the pilot in this family! Operation Meteor, huh? Well they asked for a Maxwell pilot. I'm a Maxwell too! They didn't ask for a Maxwell BOY.*  
  
Duet Maxwell ran through the slums of L2, her chestnut pigtails streaming behind her. By the time she reached the ruins of the old Maxwell Church she was panting for breath. She raced up the broken stone steps, nearly colliding with her best friend Maggie.  
  
"Duet! Don't run into people like that!" the petite young blonde shouted furiously. Her pale blue eyes were wide with fear.  
  
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Duet exclaimed. I'm really worried about Maggie. ever since Solo died. she misses her brother so much! Even more than I do!  
  
"That's all right. Don't do it again." Whispered Maggie.  
  
Duet wanted to help Maggie, but she was too excited. "Guess what Maggie! Deuce got a summons from some Professor G! He's gonna be a pilot!"  
  
"That's awful! He'll die! Just like Solo!" Maggie looked like she'd burst into tears again.  
  
"I know! He's a terrible pilot! That's why.  
  
.I'm going in his place!"  
  
"You're WHAT!!!" shouted Maggie.  
  
"Shhhh! I don't want the whole colony to know! And DON'T tell Deuce until I'm gone, 'cuz he won't let me go either!"  
  
"But. ARE YOU NUTS! You'll die!"  
  
"No I won't! I'm much better than my brother. Besides, he has to stay and take care of the gang, and you and. Liz. I'm not needed here!"  
  
"I lost Solo I'm not gonna lose you too!"  
  
"Either Deuce dies or I MAYBE die. I have a chance. Besides, Solo would've wanted me to do this for him. he knew I was the best pilot. he wouldn't want Deuce to die needlessly when I could fight so much better. Deuce knows that. he just won't admit it. so I HAVE to run away, I HAVE to do this! Are you gonna help me?"  
  
Sigh. She's nuts. "Of course I will. But. you're a girl. you'll never get in! And you're voice is even girly! And! Oh."  
  
"That's why I asked you! You think of everything! Come on! He's leaving tomorrow so I'll have to leave tonight!"  
  
2 hours later.  
  
"TADAAA!!!!" The skinny violet-eyed girl was transformed into a (slightly effeminate) boy. with awkwardly long hair.  
  
"I am not cutting it!!" she shouted.  
  
"Then what's the point of a padded vest? No guy wears pigtails!"  
  
"I promised Solo I'd never cut my hair." I watched helplessly as blood spurted from his mouth. 'Deuce, take care of the gang for me. and. my little sisters. Duet, my little Duet. don't ever cut your hair. wear it long. to remember me by. its so pretty. so pretty.'  
  
Maggie's eyes softened. "Alright then. ummm. wear it in a ponytail.or a braid! That's it!"  
  
In a few moments, the pigtails were unwoven, then redone into a long braid.  
  
"Hah! You look pretty! Umm, I mean cute. uh." Maggie giggled. "So what's your name gonna be?"  
  
"Well. the gang always calls me and Deuce The Duo, so I guess I'm Duo! Ahem (clears throat, then proceeds in deep voice) Hi! I'm Duo Maxwell!"  
  
Duet slipped into the mobile suit hanger, and headed for the Leos. Sneering, she quietly passed the sleeping guards. "What does Deuce think he is? He could never steal food without my help, much less make off with a suit." She had snuck out of the church while Maggie went to find dinner. Her stomach protested loudly, but she knew that her blonde friend was really going to get her sister, and Liz would surely get Deuce.Sigh. "He's so stubborn. He knows it has to be me."  
  
My brother has to take care of the gang, they depend on him to lead them. and. its selfish of me but. I want to be a pilot!. I want my name feared throughout the colonies, I want the girls of Earth to look up to me in awe. no one will hurt me again. they will all tremble in the face of Shinigami!  
  
Duet smirked. Deuce had been appalled when she told him she believed in no god but the God of Death. After living with Father Maxwell for so long, the gang had become Catholics. But he had succumbed to Death as well. But I AM Shinigami. I cannot die!  
  
Duet idly fingered the silver cross around her neck. She only wore it to remember Father Maxwell by, remember the only home she knew. But she had never quite fit in. The gang respected her fighting skills, and the few people close to her awed her ability to keep a cool head. But she had always distanced herself from people who wanted to be friends. On the outside she was an outgoing person, who got along with everyone. But she did not desire companionship. She remembered the school she had been enrolled in for a while.  
  
***"Class we have some new students. From. erm. Maxwell Church." announced the teacher. Whisper whisper whisper. eew they're orphans or something.street kids. don't have parents. stay away from them! The five boys and two girls from the gang put in this particular class fidgeted nervously at the front of the room. They had been scrubbed clean, and wore oversized priest suits, with hemmed black skirts for the girls. The violet eyed boy with shoulder length chestnut hair cleared his throat.  
  
"Hi. Umm. I'm Deuce Maxwell, and this is my sister Duet." The pigtailed girl next to him smiled brightly. She strode up to the redhead in the front seat. "Hi, I'm Duet!" she proclaimed. "This is Deuce, there's Kat, Locks, Scram, Skid, and Dash" pointing out the other five members of their street rat gang that had volunteered to attend school with The Duo. "Umm, hi." Whispered the redhead girl shyly. She smiled as the gang waved to her as they took their seats. Pretty soon, the whole class was chatting easily with its new members, thanks to Duets cheerfulness.  
  
But inside the girl just thought 'Good. We're fitting into the school now. The others will be safe, out of my way.'  
  
She never went back to that school. Everyone kept asking for her, for she had become quite popular in that one day. But she did not care. She wore a mask with a painted smile. She did not care for these people. She used them to keep her gang happy. She fit in so easily, but she was really detached from it all. That day, she joked around and played with everyone, but it was all fake. On the outside she seemed open, her eyes showing all of her emotions. But none of it was real. When someone told a joke she would laugh, and her eyes seemed to mirror everyone else's happiness, but on the inside she was cold, unfeeling.***  
  
Duet shook off the memory as she hid in the shadows, making her way to the Leo near the hanger opening  
  
Duet jumped into the Leo while the guard snored away. Within moments she had the mobile suit prepped for launch. She stole away into the night without being noticed.  
  
Shaking nervously Duet landed the Leo on the dark side of L2, where Professor G's lab was hidden. G had left the hangar door open for her. Trembling, she pulled out her knife, and stepped off the Leo. Immediately she found herself on the ground, an arm twisted behind her head.  
  
"Slow. Couldn't even sense me, I bet. Not what I expected at all." "Owww, hey! Let go of me you crazy old geezer!" "Hmmmph. This crazy old geezer just flipped you like a pancake!"  
  
Duet blinked up at her captor. "G?" "Yep. And you're the Maxwell boy I sent for. Hmmm. a bit on the scrawny side. no muscle at all." "Hey I got here didn't I? And I stole a Leo to do it!" "I noticed. Well, it's worth a try. Your bunk is in the west wing. I expect you up at 0500." "Sir, yes sir!"  
  
3 years later.  
  
" 02 this is your new signature weapon. I have trained you on every type of gun, sword, and most other standard weapons. But 02 will always carry the scythe."  
  
Duet held the silver rod in her right hand. She twirled it like a baton, tossing it into the air and catching it. Then she noticed the silver button, totally camouflaged on smooth, cylindrical exterior of the long pole. 3 years of training had taught her suspicion, as G often played tricks on her. However, her curiosity took over and she pushed the button. A blaze of green laser light came out of the end of the rod, nearly taking off her arm. Duet yelped and dropped the rod, as G burst out laughing.  
  
"I really didn't expect you to push that! Then again, your sudden bouts of spontaneous irrationality never cease to amaze me!"  
  
Scowling, Duet picked up the glowing rod. Examining it she noticed that one end was cut diagonally, useful as a spear. The other end had a swivel head that ignited the green blade. Carefully pressing the switch again, she saw that the green light curved to form an arched blade. It formed an effective scythe.  
  
Duet experimented her new weapon by driving it into the steel workbench. It slit through the metal so cleanly she could barely feel any resistance.  
  
Duet smirked as she held the scythe out next to her. Standing in the dim light of the professor's workroom, the dark clad figure holding the blazing scythe made a foreboding sight.  
  
"Now I am truly. .Shinigami!"  
  
*************************************************************  
  
Duet strapped herself into her gundam and began prepping it for launch. She had done this hundreds of times in the past five years but today had special significance. In 0200 hours she would commence phase one in Operation Meteor. Today she would leave L2, and head for Earth. Her mission was of no consequence to her; she didn't care about the colonies or peace on earth. But the war was inevitable, so she might as well start it. She'd go out with a bang, and take as many people as she could down to hell with her.  
  
"Open hangar doors." Called G.  
  
The dull metallic doors slid away to reveal the starry sky all around L2, made even more beautiful by the planet Earth hanging like a glass blue marble.  
  
Duet inhaled sharply. This world was so beautiful from L2. I wonder if this is what the moon looks like from earth. I'll find out soon enough, wont I?  
  
Duet snapped back to reality as G appeared on the screen in front of her. "Deathscythe has coordinates for your landing site. I will send you missions either directly or you will be assigned to work with another faction. or pilot."  
  
Duet raised her eyebrow "Pilot? What use is a pilot that's not taking orders from a faction? I get the vague idea I'm not the only kamikaze kid that "auditioned" for the part as professional assassin." She teased, while she absorbed this little slip. more pilots, huh? Damn, I'll probably have to rescue them all the time or somthin'  
  
"Girl you are the most infuriating kid I've met. I pity any OZ soldier that meets up with you. For all my training, your best attack is still the almighty blabbermouth, annoying your enemies with senseless babbling!" G chuckled.  
  
"Hah. I'll take that as a compliment." Duet smirked as she pushed the thrusters and shot out of the hangar bay.  
  
. suddenly, she realized. "HEY!!! HOW DIDJA KNOW I WAS A GIRL????????  
  
WHY YOU!!!!!  
  
YOU COULDA TOLD ME I WOULDN'T HAVE SPENT SO MUCH TIME DISGUISING MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"heeheeheehee!!! It was fun to see you squirm!!! Besides, you'll need to keep up the boy disguise. The others might not be as nice about it as me!!! Good luck pilot 02!!!" Snickering, G signed out.  
  
"Hey!!! What others!!! Don't cut me off!!! You're messin' with the God of Death here!!! Yo!!! I'm talkin' ta u!!!"  
  
Wing 02 pilot of Gundam Deathscythe flew into the earth's atmosphere, screaming and cursing her mentor the whole way down.  
  
Duet groaned loudly as the infuriating boy click clicked away on his laptop. How she loathed that laptop!!! This Heero, this perfect soldier would not be manipulated.  
  
The blonde Arab, Quatre, with his innocent face and serene eyes had been so easy to fool. He had been so happy to find another pilot to laugh with. His aquamarine eyes showed what a sweet person he was inside, while her violet ones masked her apathy with humor. She had him completely twisted around her finger, for he would never suspect such a cheerful person could be cold inside.  
  
The Chinese warrior, Wufei, had been misled much the same way. It had only taken a few pranks and a lot of "senseless babbling" to make him blow. The stoic pilot had completely lost it after she painted Nataku pink. Duet had to admit, that was a bit much, but she needed to test his self control, as well as how far she could drive him before he started chasing her around the house. Smirking inwardly, she mused at the irony. He always said girls were weak, and whenever someone screwed up he called them a weak "onna", but this onna could manipulate his emotions with a few teases and pranks.  
  
But pilot 03. he was different. Duet momentarily forgot her quest to annoy Heero as her thoughts turned to the pilot of Gundam Heavyarms.  
  
Nanashi, the clown, was almost as annoying as the Perfect Soldier. Duet wore her jesters mask tight when he was around. At times, his lack of emotion rivaled even hers, but when you'd started to believe he was unfeeling, he would smile. He was actually quite handsome when he smiled.  
  
.What!!! She could not afford to think like that! He was the one she would have to be wary of.  
  
"Trowa Barton", as he was called, was too much like Duet for comfort. He, too, watched from afar, separated himself from the world.  
  
He was cold, unspeaking on the outside, his eyes cool and collected, hiding his thoughts. But on rare occasions, he would let his guard down, showing the compassionate human being within. This was what disconcerted her the most he was her exact opposite.  
  
.yet in other ways, he was just the same. They both took their names from someone else, someone long dead. Their only true names were Nanashi and Shinigami.  
  
And he was as much the Nameless One as she was the God of Death. Both were vague about their pasts, but neither had hid it, nor had they hidden their true names.  
  
But they took Nanashi seriously, these other Gundam pilots. They listened carefully to him, those rare times he talked. They respected him. He could make them pay attention to what he had to say. Good thing cuz he had the highest IQ of those four.  
  
Not as high as her of course. She had read the "doctors'" reports on their five assassins. She had the best reaction time and control of her Gundam, highest IQ, most espionage and sabotage experience, and was the master of demolitions for Operation Meteor. Her hacking ability was almost as good as Heero's.  
  
Of course she had altered all that. She kept her demolitions skill barely above the others', but everything else, she was worst at.  
  
It would add to the image she was building. To everyone, she was a lazy, incompetent throwback from the slums of L2. No one believed she was capable of intelligent thought, for the "Duo" Maxwell they knew talked a mile a minute and was the most annoying creature alive.  
  
No one suspected she could have killed the whole base, Maganaucs and all, and made it look like an accident. But what was the fun in that? When she would much rather drive 05 up the wall with her antics?  
  
Absently, Duet walked out of the room and straight into Wufei. "Baka!" he shouted as the Cola he was drinking spilled over his tunic.  
  
Grinning broadly, she looked up at the cursing boy and said in her Duo voice "Aww hey sorry 'bout that Fei-chan!!!"  
  
"Don't call me that Maxwell!" snarled the boy, valiantly trying to wipe off his tunic. "We have a mission."  
  
Duo groaned loudly and plopped onto the sofa, while Duet waited eagerly for the next assignment.  
  
The rest of the team assembled and Wufei gave the microfilm containing the new orders to Heero. He flicked it into his laptop and the image of Doctor J appeared on the screen.  
  
"OZ has several new mobile suits under construction. Our spies suggest they were modeled for Talgeese, and could be a challenge for even the Gundams.  
  
Your mission: obtain blueprints for these new suits, then kill the architects and scientists involved in the project, and destroy the military bases manufacturing them. This must be accomplished simultaneously; one Gundam will attack one base while the other two are attacking the others.  
  
There are three such bases: One in Cairo, Egypt, where OZ has officially announced its plans are stored. 04 and the Maganaucs will destroy that; make sure you have a lot of journalists see you level everything. They don't know that we know that's not where all the blueprints are stored.  
  
The second base is on Midway Island. 05 will take that base.  
  
The last base is on the coast of northern California, in Readington.(x.x) 01, 02, and 03 will be sent there, undercover as students. While 03 is attacking the base, usual style (guns blazing, kill them all before the can finish saying 'it's a Gundam!') 01 will pull out the information. To be sure we leave no traces to let them suspect he was there, 02 will plant detonators around the main computer"  
  
"And wherever else necessary!"  
  
Sigh. "And wherever he feels like. The resulting explosion should eradicate all traces of their presence.  
  
03, you are enrolled in the local public high school as Tori Avalon.(x.x) 01, 02, you will be enrolled in the Elite school. For Reconnaissance. They let students tour the base often.  
  
You are registered as Maxwell Dune and Sakura Yue (x.x).  
  
J out." He promptly disappeared from the screen  
  
Duet blinked, speechless for once. Quatre covered his mouth with his hand to cover his smile. (Howling with laughter) "Who gets to be the onna?" ^~^ (that's wuffie chan) "." ///.x (who else?) Heero did the only rational thing in his mind. He pulled out his gun and pointed it at Duet. You will be Sakura. Or omae o korosu." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (x.x) Nezumi watched Nelvana's dubbed Cardcaptors, cuz we lives in NYC! These li'l Cardcaptors references will show up a lot, cuz cardcaptors is Nezumi's fourth favorite anime, after Gundam Wing, Digimon, and Inuyasha! Nezumi likes to pretend we are bi polar. It makes people look at us funny. Nezumi also cannot write if our life depends on it. ********************************************************  
  
Duet's eyes widened. "Hoe?" (x.x)  
  
"Your new identity. Sakura Yue. You can buy clothes tomorrow. We leave in three days." Heero replied calmly.  
  
Duet quickly overcame her shock. "Whaddaya mean ME? I say YOU can play girlie, since missions are so important to you!"  
  
"I have the gun." He stated coolly.  
  
Well she had no comeback ready for that. The composed Duet Maxwell had gone completely dumb at the absurdity of the situation.  
  
"Ahem. Well you must admit you look more. feminine than Heero, with the long hair. ah. I'll shut up" muttered Quatre as he made a break for the kitchen.  
  
"Make me some coffee!" Duet shouted after him. "I'm gonna need the caffeine...." She mumbled under her breath.  
  
Heero switched on the safety and put the gun in. his spandex. Duet scowled and turned to look at him "You realize there's no way I'm dressin' up like a girl, right?"  
  
"Of course you will. I'll help you."  
  
Three heads snapped towards the pilot of Gundam Heavyarms. Duet's mouth fell open in shock as Trowa walked over to her couch and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.  
  
But she would not lose her composure in front of these irksome males. Straightening her back and grinning broadly at Heero and Wufei, she replied "Okie-dokie then, what's my first lesson, o master?"  
  
Trowa smirked back at her knowingly. Though she didn't show it, Duet was beginning to sweat nervously. From the look in his eyes, she was sure he knew she was a girl. "Tell you tomorrow, young grasshopper!"  
  
O.O (O.O Trowa cracked a funny!!! Alert the press!!!)  
  
"Hey guys five lattes right here I didn't know how much sugar you wanted so I brought the." Quatre blinked as he walked back into the room. Heero and Wufei were gawking at something behind him. He slowly turned around. And saw Duo sitting on the sofa while Trowa stood behind him, leaning forward with his hands on Duo's shoulders. Both wore insane grins on their faces.  
  
"Ummm. guys? Did I miss something!??"  
  
"It's PINK." Duet growled.  
  
"Yes. Pink. It's a girl thing. To wear pink."  
  
"Alright. Why a pink MINISKIRT?!?!?!"  
  
"Its also a girl thing. Miniskirts are the new 'thing'. You cannot draw attention to yourself by being out of style."  
  
"Trowa. I'm. Gonna. Kill. You."  
  
"But first I have to do your make up."  
  
"AAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Trowa sobered up. "Honestly, Duo, you don't have to hide it from me. I know."  
  
"If you think I ENJOY cross-dressing you've got another think-" Duet began  
  
"I know you're really a girl." Trowa interrupted.  
  
Duet calmly placed the hot pink mini on their shopping car and slowly turned around to face Trowa. "What makes you think that?" she asked coolly.  
  
Trowa met her glare and smiled serenely. "I just do. Now, for shoes."  
  
In one quick motion she moved next to Trowa, pulling him behind a clothing rack and away from the view of the other customers. "Move and die." Duet hissed in his ear, the heap of clothes piled over her arm hiding the gun she was now poking into her comrade's ribcage.  
  
"I don't believe you'll use that."  
  
He was starting to annoy her, with his cool attitude. Unfortunately, he was right. She couldn't shoot him in the middle of a mall. She slipped the gun into its holster in her boot, but kept her hold on his shirt. "If you tell ANYONE."  
  
"Your secret is safe with me." Trowa smiled conspiratorially.  
  
Still glaring at Trowa through slit eyes, Duet snapped. "How? Why?"  
  
"You do not show emotion as others do. The others don't notice because they don't appreciate the value of emotion. I have spent so long not feeling emotions that. I. I can tell when someone is. faking. emotions" he shrugged, and then smiled wanly. "You smile and laugh, but your eyes reveal your true self. And, well, I doubt you've had much experience being, well, feminine. You don't want to be a boy all your life do you? When the war is over, won't you go back to being a girl?" he raised his eyebrows in askance.  
  
Duet snapped back "in the streets its better to be a guy. 'Sides, who knows when this wars gonna end? An' anyway, I'm gonna be killed in battle. I'll die in a blaze o' glory, and take the ones that kill me down with me. That's the only way to die." she was whispering now, her head bowed low.  
  
Trowa wrapped an arm around her, but her mind was numb. She had never thought about what would happen after the war. Would she go home? To Deuce, and Maggie, to the gang?  
  
"Its all right, it'll turn out fine." Trowa whispered soothingly. She began sobbing into his shoulder. People gave them strange looks as they passed, but she couldn't see past her own tears.  
  
"It'll be all right."  
  
"Trowa?"  
  
"Yeah Duo?"  
  
"Call me Duet."  
  
Heero scowled at the watch, then glanced at the door. Maxwell. why couldn't he be on time, just once?  
  
He entered the buzzing classroom, and the chatter came to an abrupt halt.  
  
"Ah, class this is one of our new students, Maxwell Dune."  
  
Heero ignored the awed gazes of the female students, and the ferocious glares of the male ones. He had come to expect this sort of welcome, for he received it at every school, and assumed it was some sort of welcome for new students. He had spent the night at his dorm studying the floor plans of the school so he would be able to find his classes easily. This morning he had woken early as usual, and dressed in baggy black pants and large black t-shirt with a skull on the back. He even added a Yankees cap, worn backward, for good measure. Still scowling, he made his way to the seat appointed to him.  
  
Class had officially begun but still no sign of his partner. Heero doubted it was because he wasn't ready yet. Duo and Trowa had spent every available moment preparing and practicing, though they refused to let anyone see what Duo looked like when he became Sakura Yue. They had become virtually inseparable, and Quatre even pouted that Trowa spent more time with Duo than the Arab.  
  
Heero jerked up as he noticed a sudden hush in the classroom. Slowly, he turned to face the door.  
  
A figure stood in the doorway, half hidden in the shadows.  
  
"Ms. Yue, better late than never. Please come up here."  
  
The figure hesitated slightly, and then boldly stepped into the light.  
  
Heero could feel his jaw dropping as he stared at the apparition before him. She wore a long, flowing black leather trenchcoat, over a black silk top that ended just above her belly button. A silver cross dangling from a silver chain hung from her slender neck, along with a black velvet choker. Her black leather boots came up to her knees, and her black miniskirt was tiger-striped with silver. Silver hoops hung from her ears to her shoulders, and black sunglasses were slipped down her nose to reveal startling violet eyes. Long chestnut tresses framed her tall, graceful body, twirling all about her from a draft in the hall.  
  
As Duet entered, she could feel everyone's eyes on her. She strode boldly up to the teacher, pulled off her sunglasses and tossed her head, letting her hair fly up, then set down in waves around her.  
  
"Hi. I'm Sakura Yue."  
  
Nezumi already posted it oce, took it down, and reposted it. We welcome crticism. 


	2. Chapter 2: for Volleys, and Seak 5

Mask: chapter 2  
  
Moonlit eyes1x2x1: It's a torture house us in da Bronx call HIGH SKEWL. Nezumi had to apply for the Science high schools, and since she got in we've had non-stop schoolwork. So sorry for the. what has it been? 7, 8 month wait? Well, we'll try to alleviate that. And shina has died, this is Nezumi who discovered yaoi AFTER writing 20 chapters of hetero 1x2. X_X  
  
Volleys: Cute isn't exactly what I was going for but tank u so much anyway? ^_^ Ji: hopefully, I WILL finish I this time 'round, cuz its bin hangin on ff.net for a year.X_X _______________________________________________________________________ Heero gazed at the girl in front of him.  
  
After reprimanding her for her tardiness, the teacher assigned her to sit in seat a5, right next to Maxwell.  
  
As the teacher resumed the lesson, Heero kept turning slightly to stare at the new student.  
  
Could this be the braided baka? He made a pretty girl. Pretty GOOD girl! He quickly amended  
  
The way her hair fell into her face as she looked at her computer screen, then tossed her head, her chestnut locks falling gently back to frame her lovely face.  
  
"Mr. Dune!" snapped the teacher.  
  
Blinking, Heero turned to face the teacher, "64598" he answer coolly.  
  
Muttering about smart-aleck new kids, the teacher (this is getting boring, from now on we'll call him Bob) proceeded to pick on the next student.  
  
Heero resumed staring at the beauty beside him. her NO! This was DUO! The American baka! Aaaugh!  
  
RRRIIINNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
"Break!!! Be back here for the next lesson in twenty minutes!" shouted Bob.  
  
But. She was beautiful. her amethyst eyes shimmered, as she looked straight at him. Her eyes.. HIS eyes were the same stupid color they always were!  
  
A girl walked up to their desk. "Hi, I'm Alanna. Come on, I'll introduce you to the girls. Where did you transfer from? Nobody here travels much."  
  
The annoying girl dragged the object of his current obsession to another cluster of desks.  
  
Scowling, Heero watched the two girls. BAKA! The girl and BOY, his PARTNER, his BACK-UP, to be exact.  
  
But she. he. whoever it was. whatever it was.  
  
She walked back over to his desk and sat next to him. "Ohayo. I'm Sakura. You're Japanese, aren't you?" she HE asked, loud enough for the students in the surrounding desks to hear  
  
"Nani? O, ya."  
  
"Well, I'm Sakura, that's Japanese for cherry blossom. They're my favorite flower. I'm from New York City though. Can't get much to grow there! 'Cept maybe Central Park. It's huge! It's like blocks and blocks of skyscrapers, and suddenly, you're in the middle of a forest! Ever been there? Well."  
  
She rattled on and on. Heero sweat dropped. It was definitely Duo.  
  
  
  
As Duet rattled on about the best stores in the shopping district of Manhattan, she secretly eyed Heero.  
  
He had spent the whole period looking sideways at her, and then during break he had been openly glaring. Her hand self-consciously pulled her coat closed, wondering if the shirt trowa had picked was too revealing.  
  
***Trowa confessed: I've always wanted a sister. you see; I think I used to have one. But now I don't, I have no one to look out for. I left my family to become a killer, just like you. You told me you have a big brother back on L2. Well I think he would want someone to look out for his sis, like I'd want someone to care of my sister.  
  
Now then! How about this shirt? It'll go great with the miniskirt!"  
  
"Are you deranged? It covers nothing! I'm supposed to be wearing a padded bra, remember?"  
  
"You wont need one. Just don't let Heero in while you're dressing."  
  
"TROWA!!!!!!!!!"***  
  
But no. The whole outfit was gorgeous. But Heero was seriously scaring her.  
  
Duet moved closer to Heero as she leaned over his shoulder. "Yo, Hee-chan? Whats wrong? Is it the outfit?" Duet whispered into her partner's ear in her Duo voice.  
  
Heero jerked out of his argument with himself. "What? Iie. It's very good. You fit right in." He said calmly, despite the confusing and irksome emotions running through his head. He motioned towards the group of giggly girls in one corner of the room, who were applying make-up and chatting loudly. Every so often, they would all turn around to look at Heero, and then burst into a new fit of giggles.  
  
Oddly, when he turned back to Duo he saw sheHE was staring at the group longingly.  
  
"Maxwell?" Heero hissed, nudging the girlBOY.  
  
(For those that haven't noticed Heero keeps thinking Duet's a girl then berating himself that sheHE's a BOY, so whenever he uses a pronoun for Duet it'll be sheHE and herHIS, etc.)  
  
"Hmm? O YA!!!!!!!"  
  
You're getting soft Duet chided herself. But what she wouldn't give to be in that clique, have girls to talk to. about what? She snapped to herself. The most efficient way to set thermal detonators in a closed hangar? .Mm, how about clothes and movie stars and BOYS.-"  
  
Duet was torn from her fantasy as Bob re-entered the room. "Listen up class, we're giving a gymnastics demonstration in 2 weeks. Ms. Mackenzie wants to start practicing your routine NOW so you have to get down to the gym PRONTO so you get to skip English lit."  
  
Actually, the whole period was spent doing laps and calisthenics and cartwheels. Duet never broke a sweat, flipping circles around the other girls. Though they were annoyed, the boys all watched with awe, as Heero scowled.  
  
"Why is sheHe flirting with those boys? SheHE is a BOY!" he muttered to himself.  
  
Duet caught the last sentence, and stuck her tongue out at him as she passed. "Just establishing my alias" she smirked coolly. "Wouldn't want them to be suspicious would we? Could endanger the mission."  
  
Heero was about to snap a retort, but Bob appeared at the door. "All right, practice over. Time to hit the showers. And boy do you lot STINK! Hey Alanna," he yelled at the redhead that had befriended Duet "make sure ALL the girls take showers, got it? You boys too, got it Chris? Well I'll be in the classroom.  
  
The rest of the students headed down to the locker rooms, but Duet and Heero looked at each other in dismay.  
  
"Hoe???" Duet managed to croak as Alanna dragged her down to the girls locker room.  
  
Heero's eyes were wide. Before sheHE moved out of his reach he hissed in herHIS ear "Don't blow your cover!"  
  
Duet nodded an affirmative before she was pulled down the steps.  
  
"Hey Alanna? Since I'm new here, can you do me a favor and let me skip showers today?" Duet wheedled, giving the other girl her most pitiful look. "I don't like undressing in front of people."  
  
"O that's all right! You were great today by the way! You know." the redhead chattered away as Duet mentally reminded herself to fake a doctors note saying she had a skin condition or something.  
  
As she entered the locker room the group of girls she had been introduced to back in class welcomed her.  
  
"Hey Sakura!!! You did great!!! Every-"  
  
"You did all right, Yue, but you obviously lack grace." Interrupted a brunette with frosty blue eyes. Her lips curled in a sneer. "I however was exquisite. Did you see how the guys drooled for me? Hmm. that Maxwell Dune seems to like me, too."  
  
"What're you talking about!" Alanna scoffed. "He spent the whole day staring at Sakura!"  
  
Duet blinked. "Hoe?" she said, confused, as the other girls giggled and the brunette scowled.  
  
"Obviously, Max likes you. You're the only one he's talked to all day. Don't listen to Anja, she's jealous." Smirked Alanna.  
  
Duet regained her composure, "I don't know what you're talking about" she said coolly as she brushed passed Anja and made her way to her locker. She changed into her black outfit while the others put on their towels and headed for the showers.  
  
"Hey, Sakura how come you're not showering?" jeered Anja.  
  
Duet sighed inwardly and reminded herself she had a mission. She couldn't afford to kill this insolent girl. yet.  
  
She turned around and slowly walked up to Anja. As sweetly as possible, the professional assassin and espionage agent mustered her self-control. Oddly, she had never had to do that before. Being a girl was ruining her stamina.  
  
"Look, I don't know what you're problem is, and I don't care. But this is really pissing me off. So just stay away from me and-"  
  
A girl interrupted "hey you're eyes are violet! Look, Alanna her eyes are just like yours!"  
  
Duet swiveled around to look closely at Alanna. Upon close observation, she realized the redhead's eyes were indeed a deep violet just like hers.  
  
"Hey she's right!" squealed Alanna. "That's so kewl I thought it only ran in my family! Does it run in yours, too?"  
  
"Nani? O, I don't have a real family. The Yue's adopted me." Duet answered quickly, but she pondered this. Purple eyes weren't exactly common.  
  
"Girls! Get up here!" yelled Ms. Mackenzie  
  
Duet walked up with Alanna and the gang, and they barely made it out of the locker rooms before the boys surrounded them.  
  
"Come on." Urged one boy Duet had been introduced to as George. He pulled Alanna after him as the class headed back to Bob's classroom  
  
"All right, listen up class the juvenile delinquent is back."  
  
"Hoe?" whispered Duet.  
  
"My twin brother. Twins also run in the family. Except he died his hair. same color as yours actually. I haven't seen him in 3 years, he was sent to boarding school."  
  
"YO!!! Didja miss me?" shouted a voice from the door.  
  
"Mr. Trebond you can sit with Mr., Dune and Ms. Yue. Don't blow anything up, okay, kid?" Heero and Duet turned to greet their new desk mate.  
  
What they saw made them choke back their welcome. The whole class grew silent.  
  
Heero stared at the boy before him. He wore black and gray navy fatigues and sunglasses that slipped over his nose to reveal his astonishing violet eyes (Where have we written that before?) His chestnut hair was tied in a short braid reaching halfway down his back.  
  
Even his facial features were the same.  
  
If Duo had not been sitting right next to him, Heero would have thought the boy in the doorway was his partner.  
  
**************************************************************** We do not own Alanna or Thom of Trebond. Nezumi worships the Goddess that is Tamora pierce and we would never deign to steal her characters.  
  
Duet regained her composure. For a second she thought Deuce had found her.  
  
Hold it who was this idiot that looked so much like her brother?  
  
Suddenly Heero's expression caught her eye. Blanching inwardly she realized if this boy looked like her brother he would also look like Duo, her alter ego.  
  
And like herself.  
  
Scanning the room quickly, she saw all eyes were on her, Alanna and this new boy. Alanna had obliviously run up to her brother and was squealing as she hugged him. "Thom, you're back I missed you wadja do to your hair?"  
  
But Thom was staring at the girl at the front of the room, wearing all black and looking stunning. There was something so familiar about her.  
  
He jerked away from his sister and strode to the girls desk. The blue-eyed boy next to her was blinking rapidly, and looked like he was having trouble breathing.  
  
But all he could see was this girl's eyes. Deep violet, the eyes special in his family.  
  
He leaned forward until his nose was almost touching hers. He whipped off his glasses and looked straight into her eyes.  
  
Heero restrained the urge to strangle his partner. He had obviously neglected to mention he had a twin wandering around.  
  
He snapped out of his daze as the new boy walked up to Duo and pushed his face into hers. They looked exactly the same at this angle, the glare in each others eyes reflected in their own.  
  
"Hello pretty lady. You're new here cuz I haven't gone out with ya yet!"  
  
"What do they teach you cheesy pickup lines at your last school?"  
  
"Hey didn't you learn manners, y's'posed ta flirt when your bein' picked up."  
  
"You're delusional"  
  
"Awww, you like me!!!"  
  
"O my what a big head we have."  
  
"Hmm, you're right you should have a doctor look at that."  
  
They bantered back and forth for a while. Alanna had forgotten her elation at her brother's return and was watching the conversation with the rest of the class. Sakura looked more like her twin than she herself did.  
  
Bob found his voice again. "Thom Trebond you can sit right there. ummm. where were we???"  
  
"We were debating on whether or not Romefeller's peace proposal between the OZ faction in Colony L9 would work." Duet answered coolly.  
  
"Hmm? O right."  
  
Now that the shock of seeing two identical strangers worn off, the class resumed discussing the topic.  
  
However the second they were dismissed the class flocked around Sakura and the Trebonds.  
  
Whisper Mutter "Oh, wow you could be triplets, if Sakura's hair been red we would have seen it right away are they related Sakura's an orphan maybe."Whisper.  
  
Heero ignored the buzz of conversation and pulled his partner out of the classroom, while Alanna shouted after them and the whole class followed them.  
  
All through class he had noticed Duo and Thom sneaking looks at each other and was positive they knew each other.  
  
"Baka!" Heero snapped at Duet after they lost the crowd. "Why didn't you tell me you had relatives here? This could endanger the mission!"  
  
"I don't HAVE relatives . just my twin." Duet trailed off.  
  
"Twin! You have a twin!" Heero hissed. "How can you NOT be related to them!?"  
  
"Look I may run and I may hide but I never tell a lie and I'm telling you: I have no relatives but my twin. We were found as infants on L2 then when we were old enough, we were kicked out on the street. I've got nobody THAT I KNOW OF. But I must have had parents and they musta bin Trebonds, kay? Let it go!"  
  
Heero was stunned. He watched herHIM storm away, flicking herHIS long hair at a passing car. Duo was really annoying and often got people pissed off at him, but he had never snapped at anyone. Not even Wufei could faze the jester that was pilot 02.  
  
This mission.  
  
No, this identity was doing something to herHIM. AAUUGGHH he was still thinking like that! And if herHIS appearance was freaking him out, think what it must do to Duo.  
  
Duet stormed out of school grounds and crashed into a boy.  
  
"Sorry." He apologized as she picked herself up and looked at him.  
  
"You!!!" they both cried out at the same time.  
  
Then, as one, they burst out laughing.  
  
"Hi." The boy said, after they had quieted a bit. "we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Trebond. Thom Trebond. And you, pretty lady?"  
  
Duet managed to control herself. What was wrong with her? She had never laughed for real before. And suddenly she couldn't hold back her joy. She had no idea who this was but he felt like the big brother she had left behind on L2. "Sakura Yue. Ya know, we have the whole school talking about us by now!"  
  
"I know. So, I figure we're related, neh?"  
  
"Mmmm, mebbe. I'm an orphan as I told your sister. I never knew my parents."  
  
"Oh? I'm so sorry."  
  
"Don't be. I've been getting along fine. What about you? How did you end up in boarding school?"  
  
"Eh he he he." Thom had never told anyone this but his sister, but this girl that he barely knew seemed more his sister than Alanna did. "Ummm, long story."  
  
Duet shrugged. "I have all the time in the world."  
  
Thom gave her a little half-smile. "I had a dream I was on L2. I was running hard, and a bunch of people were shooting at me. I escaped into an abandoned building, one with Death's Lair graffitied all over it with huge bright violet eyes glaring down from the ceiling."  
  
He didn't hear Duets gasp as she remembered the day her gang had found their new hideout. and grafittied it with her logo.  
  
"I collapsed onto a ratty red sofa."  
  
Red with blue streaks on the back.  
  
"And I was picking up a picture with two kids in it."  
  
Flimsy, not holograph.  
  
"Of me and a girl with violet eyes and chestnut pigtails."  
  
Me and Deuce.  
  
Who looked exactly like you Thom didn't finish. "I've had this dream for years, where I'm someone else, a kid from L2. Actually I can be someone else for a while too now. I've done it with my sister lots of times. But I cant make that one go away. So I applied for a psychic school. They deal with a lot of things, including this. My buddy Syaoran and his girlfriend. Sakura. can manipulate elements."  
  
Card Captor Sakura references belong to CLAMP, zekk is from Star Wars: young jedi knights. Nezumi owns nothing.  
  
Duet remembered Zekk back home. He could do that. Sister Helen had called him afflicted.  
  
"I learned to control it. I even talked to the guy. His name is Deuce."  
  
Deuce.  
  
"But he wouldn't talk to me after that. All he told me was go home. Every night." Thom shrugged "So I did."  
  
Duet's heart ached as she thought of her brother. And this Thom person, who was he that he could talk to her brother when she could not?  
  
Subconsciously, she leaned her head on Thom's shoulder, and he put an arm around her to support her weight.  
  
"But he told me about one more thing."  
  
no he didn't tell him. duet trembled uncontrollably.  
  
"Once, a long time ago, he had a sister that ran away from him."  
  
Please he cannot know. duet felt tears she had not shed in over five years forming in her eyes.  
  
"Named Duet."  
  
Now, for the traditional chat with the muses! ^_^ Chibi duo: scuse Nezumi-dat-was-fowmahly-shina Chibi wufei: she hasn't been able to write for nearly a year Chibi trowa: since then, her style and tastes have changed dramatically Now that our little apology is out of the way, Nezumi greets old and new reviewers alike: Hello and thank you for reading our pitiful excuse for a story! Criticism is greatly appreciated! Chibi duo: smart. You start again right befowe mid-yeawh exams an' repowte cawdes? Shush you. Remember what happens when you scoff at us? Chibi wufei: stop speaking in third person or plural onna!  
  
Nezumi has just realized she can't think of anything funny anymore. Perhaps we need new muses?  
  
Oh, and we own nothing, if we haven't mentioned it already. Well, just a Gundam Wng/ Duo/ 1x2 300 slide Microsoft Powerpoint Slideshow. ^_^ R+R=Chapter 3! Oh, and we shall not update until we get at least 7 reviews. 5? 3? Any? Please? 


	3. Chapter 3: for Ash Night

Disclaimer: Besides not owning Gundam Wing, Nezumi does not own any other reference made to any other book or anime character-  
  
Chibi Wufei: COUGH Tamora Pierce/CCS COUGH  
  
Seak5: thank you for your approval! ^_^ Moonlit Eyes1x2x1: Nezumi is on 2 squads, works after school and Anime Club, but its actually school work-  
  
Chibi Heero: COUGH writersblock COUGH  
  
-that's slowing us down.plus, do you know the subway route to our school? Nezumi takes Q46 to Kew Gardens on E to Broadway to 7 to Queensboro Plaza to N to 59th to 4. What! Its tough getting from the Nassau end of Queens to the Bronx. Sorry, Nezumi needed to rant a little. (looks sheepish) Ash Night: that's right, Nezumi started this, never finished, and is re- doing it. We might never finish, but we'll try to come up with a half- hearted conclusion. c we originally had 20 REALLY short chapters, and when we revamped it, we merged a couple of chapters together. And took out the pointless psychobabble from the gnomes.  
  
Mask 3  
  
Duet completely lost it. The mental barriers she had placed between herself and the rest of humanity were tearing down. She had never cried, not even when Solo and Father Maxwell and Sister Helen died. Not even when she had left her brother. Since the night she had stolen away from her home in the slums of L2, she had never allowed herself to remember her past life. Duet Maxwell had died when Duo was born. She had always thought she didn't belong on L2, but now. she missed it so much! She had never felt nostalgic, because she thought she had no home. But memories of her brother, of the gang, they kept flooding into her mind, as if saying, they were your home, the family you never had. Part of her said if you are nothing but pilot 02, then why did you tell Trowa your real name?  
  
And then there was the unavoidable question of who were you before you were an orphaned street rat? Fine, you've just realized you have a family waiting for you in the streets of L2, but what of the one you never knew? Who was the mother that threw you away, the father that wasn't there?  
  
Deuce and Duet had always assumed that they were average street rats, children of street rats, destined to die, end up in jail, or grow old in the streets and have street rat kids.  
  
They would never have dreamed of a family somewhere, completely legitimate, with a tendency for twins with purple eyes.  
  
Duet let her tears flow freely for the first time in her life.  
  
Heero finally regained his senses after Duo had stormed out on him. He started in the direction sheHE had gone. Soon, he heard muffled sobs coming from ahead. He turned a corner and came to a screeching halt.  
  
Leaning with his back against the wall, some ways ahead of Heero, was Thom Trebond. He had his arms around a weeping Sakura and was softly stroking her hair.  
  
He felt strange somehow. As if something in his chest was exploding. He couldn't help noticing how lovely Duo looked with her hair blowing with the wind and her tears catching the sunlight.  
  
Duet didn't understand what had come over her, crying in the middle of the street in the arms of a boy she had just met. She was vaguely aware of a motorcycle revving up the road. She pulled herself away from Thom and towards Trowa.  
  
As she leapt onto the bike and pulled on her motorcycle helmet she felt someone watching her.  
  
She turned her head to see Heero staring her from the corner. His eyes seemed mystified, as if she had confused him somehow. As their eyes met, he quickly turned towards the school and raced away.  
  
Duet stared after the retreating figure as Trowa revved the bike again and turned away from the street. The street where her Gundamian mask lay broken on the sidewalk.  
  
Duet leaned sideways to get the full blast of the wind directly in her face. Her head throbbed, her eyes were raw from crying, and she couldn't think straight.  
  
Her face was freezing and she could barely breathe from the air hitting her head. She decided it had been very stupid to take off her helmet three miles ago. But it had been suffocating her.  
  
"Don't do that!" Trowa snapped, jerking her back behind him.  
  
"Trowa. everything's gone wrong." Duet could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again.  
  
"Shhhh. its alright, tell me all about it when we get to the safe house." He murmured soothingly over his shoulder. Somehow, she heard him over the roar of the motorcycle engine.  
  
As Trowa pulled the motorcycle into the garage of the safe house Quatre had procured for him, Duet scowled jealously.  
  
She had never minded going to the prep schools and living in the dorms on- campus, but now, she really needed the privacy. The old Duet, whom we will now refer to as Shinigami, had loved the challenge that came with each new mission, especially the ones that involved going under cover where the slightest slipup was fatal.  
  
Shinigami could not comprehend the chance she might not live through the mission. She was death; she could not succumb to it.  
  
Ok Nezumi is gonna explain something here: Sakura Yue is the secret identity of 3 people:  
  
"Duo" Maxwell, the funny, outgoing blabbermouth Chibi Trowa: The one everybody sees 'Cept Nezumi's warped version of Trowa!!  
  
Shinigami, up until 2 chapters ago Duet, cold, emotionless, u get the drift  
  
Chibi wufei: The pilot a Dettsite, the cowd-bwooded killah  
  
(Pilot of Deathscythe, cold-blooded killer) Right up your alley neh fei-chan! .:shina ducks pillow thrown at head:.  
  
Duet, emotional girl  
  
Chibi quatre: The one that dinnut existh untiw all the sthuff Nezumi put huh thew in the lasth few chaptahs. poww (poor) Duet-chan needs a hug! .:crawls to Duet and hugs her:.  
  
Kawaii!!  
  
  
  
If you didn't understand us, Nezumi needs her to have multiple personas, ok?  
  
Duet burrowed into the beanbag couch and whispered meekly over the blanket Trowa had given her: "C'n I have some hot cocoa?"  
  
Trowa raised his eyebrow (the one that's not covered by the uni-bang). There was something decidedly strange about Duet. Even when he confronted her about being a girl, and during the weeks they had spent preparing her to act like a girl, she had never lost the façade of being a cheerful, carefree Duo. During missions she became the God of Death, and that was what Duet was like inside her cheerful mask.  
  
But this was a side he had never noticed. He had been able to see through the jokester to the soldier within, but perhaps there was another layer to pilot 02.  
  
He mused at the scene he had interrupted as he added hot water to the cocoa mix.  
  
Duet had been sobbing in the arms of a strange boy with an aura much like hers. but less tainted by the darkness that was Shinigami, and more powerful.  
  
Trowa had sensed the boy as soon as he had arrived in town, but he had been in school and couldn't get out. He had felt Duet ripping apart, as Shinigami made way to the confused, lonely little girl that must once have been, and was again, Duet Maxwell.  
  
On the other side of town, in the boys' dorm of the Elite school, Heero was even more confused than Trowa.  
  
He was a master tactician, but he couldn't second-guess human emotion. He was used to Duo being annoying, and more cheerful than an assassin had any right to be. But he knew that pilot 02, being as incompetent as he was, nevertheless knew to stay within mission parameters, and had never broken down before.  
  
Something went wrong. Thom Trebond, quite possibly Alanna as well, were dangerous to the mission.  
  
It had been unexpected when one of them had been assigned to be disguised as a girl, but understandable because OZ was looking for 5 boys, not 2 boys and a girl. But to be assigned to a location where their identities could be compromised because of the uncanny similarities between a pilot and locals, it was impossible!!!  
  
The Doctors wouldn't send Duo to a location where he would be distracted from the mission. would they?  
  
Back in the safe house, Duet leaned back and succumbed to Shinigami. Shinigami could not be hurt, could not cry, could not feel the human emotion called sadness.  
  
She saw the laptop light blinking INCOMING MESSAGE.  
  
Shinigami pushed the weakling Duet aside, and summoned the Duo mask.  
  
Nezumi just randomly inserted Trowa's psychic type abilities- it adds to his mystique and overall OOC-ness in this fic.  
  
Quatre's face appeared on the screen. "Duo?" he blinked.  
  
"Ya I ran into some problems at the Elite school, so Trowa picked me up."  
  
"Oh. well! Good, call Heero, our missions have been changed, the doctors will be contacting you soon."  
  
"Affirmative"  
  
"Here's your hot chocolate" Trowa held out a steaming pink cup.  
  
"Hoe? Oya, thanx bro!!" Duo took the cup gratefully and began slurping the cocoa, heedless of her burning tongue. The boys sweatdropped.  
  
"News?" Trowa asked Quatre. "You're began reassigned here. Heero and Duo will stay in Readington to finish the mission." The blonde boy answered.  
  
Duet began coughing hard as she choked on her cocoa. Stuck in this ****hole with the Perfect Stick-in-the-mud for company and a psychic dude that looked just like her brother? And now the only sane aspect in her miserable little life was going? She'd never survive without Trowa's company!  
  
"Are you all right Duo?" Quatre asked kindly from the computer screen.  
  
"Yeah. Peachy." Duo answered as he gasped for breath. Shinigami absorbed this new information. Trowa was the decoy of this operation, a necessary factor of the mission. Yet something had occurred to make him obsolete.  
  
How were they supposed to sneak into a secret super-weapon manufacturing base without a distraction? Maybe-  
  
=============================================================== -Something's gone wrong.  
  
Heero received Trowa's call about new orders. At first, he wondered why he wasn't informed directly by his laptop. But his trained soldier mind took over and he realized it must be important if it required the presence of the other two pilots. Normally he received orders and relayed them to Duo. to whoever was working with him. usually Duo.(In the American version, the only times he's undercover with a partner is the schools with DUO)  
  
He had barely reached the dormitory when Trowa called his cell phone. It had taken about two seconds to reach the forest where he and his partner had hidden their Gundams. Thankfully the safe house had, along with the motorcycle Trowa had used, a black jeep with rotating license plates. It was for when he and Duo would sneak into the base. Though he would've preferred no plates at all, Duo had convinced him to install a few different ones, so they could use the jeep for every day things, but not be traced or attract unwanted attention by having no plates at all.  
  
He reached the safe house in record time, without drawing the suspicion of local authorities by passing the speed limit.  
  
Heero stormed through the door, nearly wrenching it off its hinges. 03 turned his head slightly to acknowledge his leader's presence. Duo was slowly slurping a mug of steaming liquid as Quatre watched him, wincing at the loud, obnoxious slurps.  
  
Heero did a double take when he saw Duo. The Deathscythe pilot was huddled in a beanbag couch, wrapped in blankets. Only herHIS face, and hands were visible. SheHe looked so.  
  
Helpless. the Duo Maxwell he knew and. that he knew was, if not in control, grinning away while his pathetic excuse for a brain schemed on how to take control of things.  
  
But the girl, BOY in front of him seemed lost, confused somehow.  
  
"Hiya Hee-chan!!!" Duo jumped up, then squealed as the remainder of the cocoa he had been drinking spilled over the brim of the mug and straight onto his hand. The pilot began sucking obnoxiously on his burnt fingers.  
  
Heero mentally face vaulted. For a moment sheHE had seemed so- =============================================================== ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
-Sad, really, how she had reacted when she saw Heero. Shinigami berated herself on not hearing him enter the room. This pathetic female was too emotional, much too weak to bear Shinigami.  
  
She had been so easy to take over. The girl had no life, pleading for anyone, anything, to take her out of this existence.  
  
Duet Maxwell should've been dead. She had accepted Shinigami's control, she had become Shinigami. The God of Death would always be inside this one.  
  
Now she lived to take lives. Shinigami was in control. Shinigami did not like to be ignored, to be shoved aside by a girlish weakling. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Duet grinned lopsidedly at Heero. If wasn't going to mention the little scene he had witnessed earlier, she sure as hell wasn't!  
  
Quatre was looking forlorn. They all knew something and he was feeling left out. Duo had had Trowa all to himself, and they had a secret, he just knew it. And Heero, somehow he knew something about it too; judging by the nervous glances Duo kept giving him.  
  
What was going on? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  
  
Why is Duo acting so upset? Sure he and Trowa had somehow grown close but hugging him in the middle of a public plane terminal is a bit much.  
  
And the other boy, Thom Trebond, what was he doing here? Every moment that Duo wasn't with Trowa, Sakura was with Thom.  
  
When Sakura Yue had shown up at school the next day, late as usual, she had completely brushed off any questions about her relation to the Trebonds. However, she spent entirely too much time with them, especially the boy.  
  
Duet glanced over at Heero after she said her final goodbyes to Trowa. He had been moodier than usual, and was continuously glaring at Thom. After talking with him for hours and hours, she felt so much better. But she seemed to have neglected Hee-chan. he's probably gone nuts wondering if I'm divulging confidential information with a civilian, or something.  
  
Thom, whom she had dragged along purely to annoy Heero with, had not said a word to either of the boys.  
  
Duet had told him her real name, and that she was Deuce's sister, nothing more. And surprisingly, he had never asked about why she was here, as "Sakura Yue", not Duet. Instead, he had told her all about his family. She really felt she belonged, she knew so much about them by now.  
  
Take care of her, she's as much my sister as she is yours  
  
I don't think she's my sister. too close in age  
  
Close enough  
  
(Trowa and Thom mind talking to each other. forget 3xallana it's a 3xthom!)  
  
Duet sang along to the radio she turned on full blast. She bounced around the dorm attempting to dance as Heero glared moodily at her from over the screen of his laptop.  
  
Heero wasn't supposed to be in her dorm room, but nobody ever bothered to check. She had a private dorm while he had a roommate, so they exchanged info here.  
  
Duet stopped her antics for a split second to turn and grin at Heero. As she flashed him her signature wink and v-sign she wondered what he could be thinking about that made him so grouchy.  
  
He has no right to be so. so perky! Heero grumbled to himself. Duo had always been energetic, but he was now completely hyper!  
  
Doubtless it had something to do with Thom Trebond.  
  
Heero scowled furiously and began to type away on his laptop. The violet- eyed boy. the other violet-eyed was getting on his nerves. His existence offended him more than Duo's ever had.  
  
He had meant to report the anomaly to Doctor J, but it had been Professor G that gave them the new mission parameters. Somehow Heero had a feeling G knew exactly what was going on, and was going out of his way to keep the two of them, Duo at least, in Reedington.  
  
He also had a strange suspicion that it had been G that had issued one of the undercover identities as Sakura Yue. judging by the Deathscythe's pilot, it's creator was bound to be nuts too.  
  
"G-dude!!! How couldja do this to me!!! How'm'a gonna su'vive with that fer company!!! It doesn't even talk!!!"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"You talk enough for the both of you. And you're not supposed to whine. Its not becoming of a proper lady."  
  
"Shaddup!!!"  
  
And so the whole debriefing had proceeded, with constant interruptions and much bickering on the part of 02 and G.   
  
Heero wondered how these two had become part of Operation Meteor. Neither had the self-control, or the intelligence for that matter, to be good assassins.  
  
Heero and Duet quietly slipped into the OZ base under cover of night. They took out the guards stationed at the perimeter, and made their way inside the base.  
  
Duet saw Heero signal her to split up, but she was already moving away from him.  
  
As Heero took the hallway that would lead him to the central computer, Shinigami turned towards the dormitories. Her mission, take out the scientists behind the new mobile suit project.  
  
And blow up the base of course. that had always been the funnest part of these missions. even her conscience, the annoying little presence called Duet, loved the power that came with pressing the trigger that would blow up the surrounding mile or so.  
  
Shinigami grinned maliciously as she saw her targets. She attached mines on the desks of every set of computer consoles. She set them to the first detonator switch attached to her wrist.  
  
She came across the first door leading to a dormitory. According to the floor plans, this was the living quarters of the head scientist. Counting softly under her breath, she reached one, and kicked the door open, guns blazing.  
  
She stopped firing, stunned as she watched her target turn slowly, gaping at the holes on his chest.  
  
She backed away slowly, horror on her face. The man's violet eyes pierced into her own. She crashed into a desk, sending a picture frame into her startled hand.  
  
She turned from the man and ran down the corridor. Blindly, she raced into Heero.  
  
"Baka." He snapped, as she stood stunned.  
  
He practically dragged her out of the base as the alarms blazed.  
  
When they were on a hill a safe distance away, he turned to her. "Did you complete your mission?"  
  
Dumbly she nodded an affirmative. She shakily pulled up her wrist and pressed the detonators. Explosions tore the base apart even as the mobile suits struggled to get out.  
  
"And the head scientist?" snapped Heero.  
  
"Dead." Duet whispered, as she collapsed into Heero's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
Confused, Heero gently pulled the frame out of his partner's hands.  
  
.and stared at the family photo of a violet eyed man, his twin sister, and a younger boy and a redhead girl, also with the violet eyes specially to a certain family.  
  
Heero blinked, confused, at the photo.  
  
Realization hit him like a bullet train. All the violet eyed people, two sets of twins.  
  
Thom Trebond's family. Duo's family.  
  
Heero's mind was reeling, but he snapped himself out of it. It was a mission. It was war. People died in war. War forces people to become killers.  
  
War forces children to kill family, friends. War created Duo, and the other Gundam pilots, created Heero, the perfect soldier.  
  
It is a war we will win. Despite who is lost along the way. Heero lifted the surprisingly light Deathscythe pilot. He carried him swiftly to their transport.  
  
On the drive back to the dorms, Heero stole a glance at his braided partner. His sobs had receded, but he was still curled up in a ball in the back seat.  
  
Heero wondered what he was thinking, what was going on in his mind.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shinigami, even the Duo mask had been forced away by the emotional, grieving Duet.  
  
What have I done? She clutched her head, tried to make the sad little voice go away. What am I gonna tell Thom.  
  
Her thoughts went back to the picture, now resting face down on the front seat, where she couldn't see it.  
  
It was a family picture. A family that could've been hers.  
  
But wasn't. The similarities were great, but Shinigami had no family. Yet, she was no longer completely Shinigami either.  
  
But she had a reason to fight. She had ruined the life of a boy that could've been her brother, but her brother, and all of the colonies, depended on her skill as a killer. She had the colonies to think about first, her own sorrow later.  
  
She wiped away her tears as Heero slowed the transport. "Sorry. Won't happen again" she said as she turned on her heel and walked away from the thoroughly confused Wing pilot.  
  
It was the last day at this school. Sakura Yue and Maxwell Dune were transferring out due to the horrible attack on the military base down the road. Everyone was comforting Allana and Thom Trebond, because their father was killed in the attack.  
  
"There, there, let it out" Sakura whispered to the wailing Alanna that was crying into her shoulder. She had been with Alanna all day, pretending to soothe her in her hour of need.  
  
She spotted Thom glaring at her coldly from across the room. "Mind if I go talk to your brother now?" she said softly to the crying girl.  
  
"Sure, go on, you've been so much help to me already" Allana sniffled as another girl handed her a tissue.  
  
  
  
Thom whirled around to confront the girl walking up behind him.  
  
"I know you had something to do with it. How can you not even feel guilty?"  
  
""Excuse me? I just came to offer my condolences."  
  
"Don't give me that crap. I know who you are. What you are."  
  
Duet froze. As she opened her mouth to speak, she felt Heero's hand on her arm, restraining her.  
  
"Come on. Our ride's here." Heero felt slightly uncomfortable at the twin glares that were turned to him, but he couldn't let the conversation continue any further.  
  
Normally he would've secluded Thom, them killed him as a threat to security. But somehow, he knew his partner would never allow that.  
  
The braided boy and the braided girl. the two braided boys glared at each other vehemently, but each was sad to part ways.  
  
As Duet rode away from the school, she turned to look at the crowd waving to her, and the solitary boy that wasn't. She felt deep remorse at leaving behind a family that maybe she knew, maybe she belonged to, but still, she would never return to this place called Readington, that promised her a normal life.  
  
Nezumi wishes to just finish this fic already so u don't have to review. Nobody loves us. 


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